Pregnancy in New Zealand requires women (and their partners) to regularly make choices and decisions. Every pregnant woman needs to decide to be as healthy as she can possibly be. Good nutrition and regular exercise will help ensure the best possible outcomes for mother and baby.

Some of the choices you make during your pregnancy will be instinctive – you’ll just “know” what feels right for you. Some will be based on your beliefs and experience of pregnancy, birth and parenting. Even if you have never been pregnant or given birth, you will have been exposed to other people’s experiences either directly with family members or friends or indirectly through television, film, books, magazines etc.

Some people think that there are elements of maternity care that are “compulsory”. In fact, in New Zealand we are legally required to make informed choices about all maternity and medical care. This pregnancy checklist is designed to help you to become aware of the choices that need to be made as your pregnancy progresses and to provide you with basic information to assist your decision-making.